Third Time's The Charm
by lost in a musical daydream
Summary: "Do you like me?" "Do I like you? No. I absolutely hate you, Scorpius Malfoy." "Do you love me?" "...yes." For EmilyMarie15. RATED M FOR LANGUAGE!


**This one-shot is dedicated to **EmilyMarie15**, because I lost a bet. :P now GO READ ****The Fault In Our Stars**** by John Green! Right now! I command you!**

**Oh, and since I don't know Rose's middle name, I just made it Helena, because that's the name of the actress who plays her.**

* * *

**SPOV**

_First Year, Great Hall, The Sorting_

I knew that from the moment the Sorting Hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" that I lost any friendship I'd had with the pretty, redheaded girl.

Of course, what I didn't expect was the fact that the girl's cousin would join me.

The Hall fell silent and even the Headmistress's mouth gaped open as Albus Potter placed the Hat on his head and received "SLYTHERIN!" as a response. I imagined perfectly what was running through their heads: _A Potter? In _Slytherin_?_

No matter that my father would be pleased. My freaking father. (I was too young to know any swear words yet. Of course, that would soon change.) You would think that nearly murdering one of the greatest wizards of all time (Dumbledore, of course—Voldemort hardly qualified as great) and being in such a life-shattering war would change him even a little for the good, but no—he married the first pureblood witch that wasn't related to him (my mum, Astoria Malfoy) and had a child (me). He was ecstatic when I turned out to be a boy—an heir for his precious company. What would he have done if I were a girl? Well, I'd rather not dwell on that.

Anyway, Albus Potter approached the Slytherin table with some trepidation. I patted the seat next to mine, and grateful for a companion (I wouldn't say a friend, not just yet), he sat.

"I'm Scorpius," I said, offering a hand. "Scorpius Malfoy."

Albus snickered.

"Think my name's funny, huh?" I purposely made my voice sound threatening.

To my immense surprise, Albus wasn't fooled. "Oh, come off it," he laughed. Seeing my bewildered expression, he added, "My older brother, James, pulls the voice on me all the time."

"Well," I said defensively. "You're one to talk about bad names, _Albus_."

Our friendship suddenly fell into place, clean-cut and long lasting. "What's your middle name?" he asked.

Great, the one question I didn't want to answer. "Um… Hyperion…"

Albus busted up laughing. "Ha ha," I mumbled. "What's yours?"

"Severus."

"Severus? Like, Severus Snape?"

"Yeah, and Albus like Albus Dumbledore."

I sat back, a little impressed. "That's actually kind of cool."

Wrong thing to say. "Yeah, I know," he said smugly. Oho, so this guy had a big head.

"You're still ugly, though."

We both started laughing really hard at that, but stopped abruptly when, "Weasley, Rose!" was called. Me, because this chick was seriously beautiful, and him because, well, she was his cousin.

The Hat had barely touched her head before it screamed "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Of course!" said Albus excitedly, grinning, as he clapped. I stared at him. "You do know this means that you'll almost never be able to talk to her, right?"

"What?"

"Gryffindor-Slytherin enmity? Ring a bell?"

Albus frowned. "What does that matter? I don't have a personal problem with Gryffindor."

"Yeah, but the rest of Slytherin will have a personal problem with you if you talk to her."

"Can I change my house?"

I laughed. "Nope."

The Sorting ended with "Zabini, Evelyn!" who was extremely hot and winked at me when she joined us at the Slytherin table. _Score_.

Albus nudged me. "Already a ladies' man, huh?" I grinned at him and spread my hands, as if to say "What can you do?"

* * *

_Sixth Year, Room of Requirement, A Saturday Afternoon_

"Truth or dare, Scorpius?" asked James Potter.

I loved playing truth or dare with the Potter-Weasley clan. I found out a lot of things with the various truths, and sometimes the dares as well. For example, I had found out from Hugo Weasley today that I had been voted 'Sexiest Bloke in Hogwarts' by most of the female population at the school. However, now I was a bit tired of dares, which had ranged from stripping to kissing Lily Potter, so I picked truth.

"Why are you dating Evelyn Zabini?"

"Because she's fucking sexy." Evelyn Zabini had waist-length black wavy hair and gorgeous brown eyes. And large breasts. Rose sniffed.

Rose Weasley was the constant bane of my existence. How could someone be so annoying and so beautiful at the same time? With her chocolate eyes and wavy red hair, she was the object of many guys' affections—_before_ I beat them up. Only the best deserved Rose. However, she had made me stop that practice four years ago. Now she was dating Lysander Scamander, whom I thought was a fucking prick. His name fucking rhymed! That had to be illegal!

Okay, was it that obvious that I was in love with her?

I had to keep up my playboy image, though, so I had dated a range of girls, from Juliet Finnigan to Violet Parkinson. They were both clingy, but sexy as hell. I always picked sexy girls. It just wouldn't do if I dated someone like, say, Nicole Edgecombe, who wasn't in a very good financial position, and had a horrible outbreak of acne. Call me shallow, but hey—the Malfoy name had to live on, right?

"Rose, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Of course, she was such a Gryffindor.

"Hmm… I dare you to go to Professor Longbottom and tell him you want to see what's underneath those robes."

Albus started laughing. Rose glared at him. "Okay…"

She got up, dusted off her robes, and strode towards the door. What a fine ass that girl had…

_No, Scorpius_, I told myself, _you are dating Evelyn Zabini. Think of Evelyn. _But Evelyn couldn't capture my interest like Rose did.

Rose was snarky, intelligent, beautiful—my perfect match, someone who could keep me on my toes, instead of just wanting to snog me all day. Unlike one Evelyn Zabini.

My thoughts were interrupted by Rose reappearing in the Room of Requirement. "Well," she proclaimed, "because of you, Scorp, I have detention with Professor Longbottom tonight. Thanks for that."

"No problem. Tonight, huh? With Professor Longbottom? So he _does_ want to see what's under those robes!"

Al and James burst out laughing again, and Rose glared at me. _If looks could kill…_

"So, Al," said Rose. Al sobered up immediately. Rose had the best arsenal of truths and dares known to wizardkind. "Truth or dare?"

"Um… truth?"

"Who do you like?" Wow. That wasn't Rose _at all_. I expected something much, much worse, but to my surprise, Al went red and mumbled something indistinct.

"_Who do you like?_"

"Evelyn Zabini…"

Wow, that was unexpected. Well. "You can have her. She's really not much in the brains department."

Al looked hopeful, and I grinned at him. "Go for it. I'll break up with her today."

Rose glared at me. "Of course, you're not thinking about poor Evelyn's feelings, are you?"

"Feelings? All she wants to do is snog me all day! My lips are getting chapped, look!" I leaned closer, and she leaned back.

"I'll take your word for it, Malfoy. But seriously, don't you think you should be a little bit more caring?"

I considered. "No."

"As usual, you display the emotional maturity of a teaspoon."

Hugo snorted.

Al said, "Okay, it's my turn. Scorp. I dare you to—"

"You can't just dare me. You have to say truth or dare."

"Well, fuck that. I dare you to go into a different room with Rose and tell her your deepest, darkest secret."

"Why Rose?"

"Because she knows when you're lying and will without a doubt tell all the rest of us." He smiled cheekily.

Shit.

My deepest, darkest secret was, of course, that I loved Rose.

Shit.

I sighed and stood up. "I guess we better go."

The Room of Requirement helpfully made another little room for us. Thanks, Room.

Rose wore a devilish smile. "So… go. Spill."

I took a deep breath and said, "I love you."

"Pardon?"

"I love you. I love everything about you. I love how you bite your nails when you're nervous. I love how you get flustered before exams even though you know that you're fucking brilliant and will probably pass with a thousand and six percent. I love how you scratch your nose when you're confused. I love how your eyes twinkle when you're up to something. I love your smile. I love your hair. I love your eyes. I love _you_."

I think I should've won an award in that one second. Because I had just rendered Rose Helena Weasley speechless. And then I kissed her.

Now, Rose had made it very explicit the first time I met her—any unwanted advances, and she'd jinx me to next Friday. Every time I made a sexual innuendo referring to her and me and sometimes a broom closet, she hexed me until my head was three times its normal size. '_Just letting girls know about your worst flaw,'_ she'd said. '_your big head_.'

James got a kick out of that.

So I'd decided to steer clear. Date other girls. _Lots _of other girls. And as far as I could see, Rose had never shown any signs of being even a bit jealous, which kind of hurt. Then, of course, she started dating Lysander Scamander.

I don't even know what she saw in him. He wasn't very brilliant, and he had a face like a pug. He made me sick.

But despite all of that, Rose was kissing me back. Her hands found the nape of my neck, then tangled in my platinum blonde hair. Out of the numerous kisses I'd shared, this one was the best one yet.

"Scorpius," she moaned briefly, before our lips connected again. Suddenly, I pictured Ron Weasley's enraged face in my mind, and I broke the kiss. That was one problem I definitely did not want to face.

Rose looked kind of surprised for a second, before she exclaimed, "I have a boyfriend!"

I smirked, letting myself get back into our usual routine. "If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one moaning _my_ name."

Rose was fuming. "Why did you do that?"

I shrugged. "Because I wanted to. Besides, it's not like you were complaining."

"Scorpius Malfoy, you are so infuriating!"

"As I recall, I am not that infuriating when you're snogging my brains out."

Rose gritted her teeth. "Ugh!"

"Okay, one simple question. Do you like me?"

"Do I like you? No. I absolutely hate you, Scorpius Malfoy."

"Do you love me?"

"…yes."

"Then why are you dating Scamander?"

"That was not one question."

"Just answer the damn question, Rosie." I only called her Rosie when I was really pleading.

"I'm dating Lysander because it makes you mad."

Wow, I definitely wasn't expecting that. "Oh. Um… okay, then. And, Rosie?"

"Yes?"

"If you weren't dating Scamander, would you go out with me?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes."

"How about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll break up with Evelyn if you break up with Scamander."

"…okay."

"I'm glad. Now what are we going to tell them my deepest, darkest secret is?"

"Don't worry, I've got it under control." Rose sauntered out, and I warily followed her.

"Scorpius has just told me that he has a tattoo of a Pygmy Puff on his arse," Rose proclaimed.

Oh, bugger. I think I'd've taken telling the group that I loved Rose over that. Al looked like Juliet Finnigan and Reyna Thomas (the gossip queens of Hogwarts) combined, which was a horrifying prospect.

"Nothing leaves this room, okay?" I shouldn't even have tried.

"Of course it will!" said Al, with a very Slytherin smirk on his face. "I mean, who do you think I am, Lily? Keeping secrets, and all?"

I scowled at him. "Truth or dare, Lily?" Lily was a safe option.

"Truth."

I felt thoroughly uncreative after my heartfelt confession (talking like this was completely unScorpiuslike of me) so I went with the universal, "Who in Hogwarts would you most like to shag?"

Lily went red, and mumbled something.

"What?"

"You."

I smirked, beginning to return to myself. "Of course you want to shag me. I am the sexiest bloke in Hogwarts. Everybody wants to shag me, even if I do have a Pygmy Puff tattooed on my arse. Right, Rose?"

Rose flushed bright red and gave me another Look. Hugo, confused, looked back and forth between me and Rose until he decided he'd never get it. Hugo, bless his soul, wasn't very bright.

"I think I'm off to end it with Evelyn. Maybe drop a few hints about her and Al. Hope she won't take it too hard."

Rose shook her head and whispered something to Lily. I caught only snatches of it, but what I heard went something like, "Boys, insensitive pricks," blahblahblah.

I strode out of the Room of Requirement to find Evelyn, almost 100 percent sure that Rose was staring at my decidedly NOT tattooed arse on the way out.

* * *

_Seventh Year, Potions Classroom, First Day of Lessons_

"G'morning, everyone!" said Professor Baddock. "Today, I will be pairing you up. Evelyn Zabini and Albus Potter…"

I gave him a thumbs-up and drummed my fingers impatiently against the table until my name came up.

"Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley. Now turn your textbook to page three. Whoever makes the best potion at the end of class gets an O and twenty house points each!"

I gave Rose a lecherous grin and wiggled my fingers. By this time, the entire school knew about how Scorpius Malfoy liked a Gryffindor, and a Weasley at that!

They also knew about how Rose had been turning me down since sixth year, which frankly puzzled me. She seemed to have responded to my kiss willingly enough.

I sat down at a cauldron next to Rose. "Hey, Rosie."

She gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend you aren't happy to see me."

"Thrilled."

"What's with the tone? Come on…" I poked her in the arm. "You know…" In the cheek. "you think…" In the stomach. "I'm sexy."

"Ugh, what is up with you, Scorp?"

"Me? What's up with me? You're the one who's been avoiding me and turning me down since that game of truth or dare!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I just don't want to be known as another whore that hangs on to your every word."

I stopped poking her and my arm dropped in disgust. "Are you kidding me, Rosie?"

"Well, I-"

"Forget it. Just forget it. I can't believe you would think of me like that, Rosie. You should know by now that—never mind. Never mind. Let's just make the damn potion."

We got an O on the potion and twenty points each to Gryffindor and Slytherin at the end of class, but I didn't care about that. What I cared about was the fact that Rose Weasley, _my Rose Weasley_, thought that I only liked girls because they were whores.

The next day, I got back together with Juliet Finnigan.

Okay, so it probably wasn't the smartest move after Rose's accusation, but I was done with someone who kept playing with my feelings like that. First she kissed me back in sixth year and flirted with me mercilessly, but on the other hand she avoided me and told me I was a womanizer. I'd rather have a whore.

Who was I kidding? I'd rather have Rose.

Juliet quickly got boring, so I dumped her. I didn't even bother dating anyone else, because they weren't Rose.

Christmas soon approached, but my mood did not match the festive holiday season.

"Are you coming to the Christmas party?" Al asked one day.

"What Christmas party?"

Al rolled his eyes. "You are so out of it these days! McGonagall decided to throw a party in the Great Hall. It looks like fun."

"Probably not."

Al punched me in the jaw. "WAKE UP!"

"What the hell? What was that for?"

"Seriously, what is your problem, Scorp?"

I ignored him. "Will Rose be at the party?"

"Probably, yeah."

"Then I'll go."

* * *

_Seventh Year, Great Hall, Christmas Party_

"What's your plan, mate?"

I grinned impishly, trying to return to a sliver of myself. "There's mistletoe everywhere. I can just corner Rose near a patch."

Al shook his head. "She's smarter than that, Scorp."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Mate, I'm wearing a tuxedo for her, okay?"

"You're right, that is severely abnormal."

I punched him in the arm, and we set off for the party. I was dateless, and Al was meeting Evelyn Zabini there. They had been dating for a few months now, and while Al's parents didn't exactly approve, there wasn't anything they could do. Al wouldn't listen anyway.

I spotted Rose right away. She was wearing an emerald green dress, and it looked stunning against her hair. She looked beautiful.

And she was talking to Lysander Scamander.

Damn, damn, damn. I didn't like this at all.

What could be worse? Well, that they were near a patch of mistletoe.

_Fuck!_

I decided to intervene as quickly as possible. I sauntered over. "'Lo, Rosie. Scamander."

"Hi, Scorp," said Rose, with an attempt at a friendly smile at the same time that Scamander said, "Malfoy."

"_Scorp_?" said Scamander, with an ugly scowl beginning to emerge on his face. It was then that I realized that he was holding a goblet of what I had assumed to be butterbeer, but what I saw now as firewhiskey. _How did that slip past McGonagall?_ I wondered.

"Lysander, you've been drinking quite too much," said Rose, trying to take the flask from Scamander.

"Gerroff me, woman!" he growled, slapping her hand away. Rose's face was horrified.

"Lysander!"

"Yeah, you call me Lysander, but you call 'im, you call 'im _Scorp!_" He hiccupped. "J-just forget iiiiiitttt. I'll g-g-go away like you wanttttt." His words were slurring.

Rose starting biting at her nails; she was nervous. "He wasn't like that before, I swear…"

I waved it away. "It's all right. But I don't think you've noticed…"

"Noticed what?"

I looked up. "We're right below some mistletoe."

"Scorp, I can't…"

"We can't break the tradition, Rosie."

And so for the second time, I kissed her. Someone wolf-whistled in the distance, but I didn't care, because for the second time, she was kissing me back. For the second time, her hands interlocked at the nape of my neck, and for the second time, they tangled in my hair. My hands rested on her hips, and it was absolute bliss until I felt contact—and not the intimate kind—with my face.

We broke apart. "What the hell?" were the first words out of my mouth.

Predictably, it was Lysander Scamander.

"Y-you say wwwwhhhhaatttt the hell? I think _I _should say what the hell! Why are you kissing my girlfriend?"

I smirked and gestured to the mistletoe. "Mistletoe," I said.

He hit me in the stomach.

"What the _fffuuuccckkk_, man." His words were still slurred.

"You're drunk. Stop it," said Rose firmly.

"You're a bitchhhhh and a whorrrrrrrreeeee and a mudbloodddddddd."

That was it. Nobody insulted my Rosie like that and got away with it. I punched Scamander in the nose. Blood spurted out from his face and he staggered, holding his nose.

"Boys!" It was McGonagall; I knew she'd intervene sooner or later.

"Malfoy! Weasley! My office. Scamander! Go to the Hospital Wing and then join Malfoy and Weasley in my office."

"Wait," I said to Scamander before he could move. "_Episkey_."

With a crack, his nose straightened into place. "_Scourgify_." The blood was cleaned away.

"Thank you, Malfoy," said McGonagall. Her cheeks were pink; she had probably taken a few swigs of butterbeer too many as well. "Now if you will follow me to my office."

At the two stone gargoyles, McGonagall proclaimed, "Lemon drops!" shakily, and then we followed her onto the staircase that led up to her office.

"Lemon drops?" questioned Rose curiously. I shook my head. Only Rose would ask about the password while in the headmistress's office about to get in trouble.

"Professor Dumbledore liked lemon drops," said McGonagall. I spotted a tear in her eye; she was emotional after telling us something so personal about someone she'd regarded as a hero. Then she shook her head, reverting back to her strict, stern self.

"Malfoy, why in Merlin's name did you assault Scamander?" McGonagall didn't show partiality to her House, but it was well-known that she didn't like Slytherin.

"He provoked me, headmistress."

"It's true." Rose spoke up. "He said some… choice words about me."

"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to give both of you detentions. And ten points from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Return to your dormitories immediately."

That was an easy punishment, for McGonagall. All three of us prepared to go to our dormitories. Before I went down into the dungeons, I pulled Rose aside.

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I still love you."

"I… know. And… I love you too?" Her last word was a question, but I didn't care as I swept her in for a third kiss. And this one was perfect.

"Rosie, will you be my girlfriend?"

"…yes."

They say third time's the charm, after all.

* * *

**SORRY I'M THE HUGEST PROCRASTINATOR IN THE HISTORY OF PROCRASTINATION!**

**Oh, and Em? Good job for not jumping off a cliff and surviving your chemistry final. :) I hope you liked it.**


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